Seaguar's Invisible Fluorocarbon, does it give anglers that
extra edge?

Date:

6/17/02

Tackle type:

Line

Manufacturer:

Seaguar

Reviewer:

Zander

Total Score: 8.10

Introduction:
When Fluorocarbon first arrived on the fishing scene it was touted as the
ultimate advancement in fishing line. We take a look at the original designer of
100% fluorocarbon, Seaguar, and see if their invisible leader gives anglers that
extra edge to land more fish.

Seaguar
Specifications

Colors/Patterns

Clear (Invisible)

Line
wt's available

1-80lb

Weight Tested

20lb

Avg.
Diameter

0.16"

MSRP

$16.80 (20lb/50yds.)

Impressions: As the popularity of braided and hybrid lines
have increased so has the interest in Fluorocarbon leaders. These leaders allow
anglers to basically use whatever line they choose and still benefit from subtle
lure or bait presentation. We wanted to test just how useful using a
Fluorocarbon leader is on both offshore and inshore applications so we went
fishing for two very different species....Salmon and Stripers.

Small spools
like this one are handy for tying on leaders anywhere

Real World Test: To test Seaguar Invisible
leader we went Salmon fishing on the Pacific Coast of Monterey and for inshore
tests we targeted landlocked Stripers in Lake O'Neil in Central California. For
the Salmon we used anchovies for bait, and for the Stripers we used Yozuri Mag
minnows as our lure of choice. On both occasions we had half the TackleTour
members fishing with straight mono lines and leaders, and half fishing with the
Seaguar leader to see if the leaders helped improve our chances. Here's what we
found:

First, why use a fluorocarbon leader?:The theory behind the design of
Fluorocarbon lines is that some fish will shy away from a lure or bait when they
see a visible line. To prevent fish from spooking and increase your chances
manufacturers like Seaguar have designed Fluorocarbon lines that are supposed to
be near invisible underwater. The way they work are that they boast a refractive
index which is nearly identical to that of the water. Seaguar explains "When you
immerse a Fluorocarbon leader in water, it blends in so well that it's almost
impossible to see with the naked eye. And if the fish can't see it, they are far
less likely to spook and more apt to strike."

Salmon Fishing: When we went mooching for Salmon half the team
rigged up with Trilene Big Game 20lb and mono leaders, while MP and I rigged up
4 ft. Seaguar leaders. The leaders were connected to our main line via a swivel.
By the end of the day both MP and I had fish, while only one of the other guys
had landed a fish. The interesting thing was that we had twice as many hits as
the other 2 guys who rigged mono leaders to their anchovies. Salmon have pretty
good eyesight, and it was no surprise to us that the baits that had Seaguar
leader were more often hit. Because Seaguar is near invisible it is ok to go
higher on your line weight. This is important if you are fishing for huge
Salmon, or Albacore, as it allows anglers to use normally hi-vis lines like
braided or fused varieties and still present a lifelike bait with a long thick
leader. The charter boats we go out on always use some type of leader, and
experienced deck hands claimed that at times even a foot of Seaguar can make the
difference between getting hit and being ignored by finicky fish. So for this
test we would have to say that Seaguar performed well, and did give us that
extra edge over line-shy Salmon.

Seaguar
Invisible Leader can be tied directly to your main line, whether you
choose mono or braided lines

Striper Fishing: To test the Seaguar on an
inshore application we used the same weight for Striper fishing. In this case
rather then use a swivel we tied the leader directly on the main line. You can
use a knot of your choice but we would recommend a strong uni-knot, try and stay
away from blood knots which can come loose with more active lure fishing. We
have heard of some anglers that swear by fluorocarbon, using them for their main
line....while fluorocarbon is strong and abrasive resistant we don't recommend
this because it is very expensive, doesn't knot as well as more flexible mono,
and is much too stiff to cast for distance or accuracy. For our tests we ran
Yozuri Mag Minnows which we fish as rip-baits just 2 feet below the surface.
While ripping hard and violently the Seaguar held up well. When Stripers hit the
lures they tugged hard but in every case the Seaguar was able to bear the load.
Even Stripers over 10lbs. were eventually able to be muscled in without fear of
the leader snapping. The Seaguar leader exhibits very little stretch, and a lot
of backbone. Interestingly, in this test, the members of our team that used the
Seaguar leaders landed no more, or less, fish then those that didn't. Perhaps
Stripers are not easily spooked by lines, but we didn't feel the Seaguar lines
provided any advantage over a lure tied directly to mono in this case.
Fly-casters for Stripers may find Seaguar a good choice for shock leader
however.

Seaguar has
a good knot strength, but it is stiff and takes a little more effort to
get a good tight knot then mono

The rundown: Seaguar has the right philosophy when designing a
line that is invisible to fish, and is among the most proven manufacturers to
choose from on the market. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of hype in the
market about the abilities of fluorocarbon. It simply isn't the miracle line
that will magnetically inspire more bites. What it will do is give anglers a
better chance of convincing easily spooked fish that it is safe to take a bite.
Seaguar Flourocarbon does what it is supposed to do, and lives up to their claim
of being unaffected by UV rays and not absorbing water. One nice thing about
Seaguar is that it is stiff and yet boasts a low memory. If your line is twisted
simply tug on it and it will straighten out nicely. The one major downside to
using a premium fluorocarbon leader like Seaguar's is the cost, which can be
double, or in some cases even triple the cost of standard mono leaders.

Ratings:

Seaguar Ratings
(?/10)

Construction/Quality

Very well constructed with a good balance of strength and stiffness

9

Performance

Great performance in offshore and certain inshore applications, doesn't
always ensure more hookups but good for easily spooked species

8

Price

This is a premium line, and it definitely costs more then traditional leader
material

7

Features

Not
Applicable

N/A

Design
(Ergonomics)

Well designed, and lives up to the claim of UV and water resistance, very
tough and abrasion resistant

8

Application

Good for a number of applications like mooching, trolling, and shock leaders
for plugging and fly-casting. Not as good for traditional lure fishing.

8.5

Total Score

8.10

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus
Minus

J
Low visibility

L
Expensive

J
Very strong

J
Abrasion resistant

J
Low memory

Conclusion: Seaguar makes a good product that can help you
target fish more effectively. Because of Seaguar's strength and abrasion
resistance it is popular among anglers for a variety of applications including
mooching, trolling, and live lining. Seaguar is a better alternative then
standard mono leaders, and while it certainly won't hurt your fishing don't
expect it to necessarily double your chances either, but when used in the right
application it can provide that extra edge.....and hopefully that next trophy
fish.